Gymnema—A Herb to Control Diabetes

by Heidi Stevenson

You have diabetes. You take good care of yourself, eating well and exercising. But you still have blood sugar problems and the doctors are saying that you must take drugs. Gymnema sylvestre is a herb noted for its ability to lower blood sugar levels—and that, of course, is the goal of diabetes drugs. Since the only known negative effect of Gymnema is to lower blood sugar, and that's the desired effect when you've been labeled as diabetic, it seems rather silly to take risky drugs before trying it.

How Gymnema Works

Several studies of fairly good quality have been done on Gymnema. Gymnema:

• Lower serum glucose levels, that is, it lessens the quantity of sugar in the blood.
• Lower serum lipid, blood fat, levels.
• May increase protein content in tissues that are overloaded with fat.
• May decreases fat in tissues.
• Increases the activity of certain enzymes involved in sugar metabolism and increases glycogen synthesis.

In more general terms, Gymnema induces an increased release of insulin from the pancreas, lowers blood sugar levels, and decreases fat in both the blood and tissues.

Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes?

This is one of the most exciting characteristics of Gymnema. It's been shown to be effective in both insulin-dependent—Type 1—and noninsulin-dependent—Type 2—diabetes. In Type 1 diabetes, it can reduce insulin requirements. Some studies have shown that long term use may increase beta-cell activity, which may indicate some return of functionality of the pancreas. In Type 2 diabetes, Gymnema may limit or even prevent the need of drugs.

Gymnema's History

Gymnema has been used successfully in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for at least 2,000 years for madhu meha, honey urine, which is, of course, the virtual definition of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes from from Latin for siphon and mellitus comes from Latin for sweet or honey-like. Its name is the result of the body's siphoning of sugar through the urine.

In Tanzania, it has been used as an aphrodisiac. Other applications have included as an anti-malaria agent, laxative, diuretic, antidote for snake venom, and digestion aid. Whether it's effective for any of these purposes is not well known.

Dosage

Standard dosage is usually considered to be 200 milligrams three times a day. This is the amount that has generally been tested in studies. Gymnema's effects

Adverse Effects

If you have a problem with high blood sugar, there are no known negative effects. Of course, if you have a problem with low blood sugar, then common sense says that you should not take Gymnema, as it will definitely make your serum sugar levels even lower. Its effect is the same, whether you have high, normal, or low blood sugar.

An intriguing effect in some people is lessening the perception of sweetness. Although some believe that this factor makes Gymnema a weight-loss product, we do not recommend it for that purpose. People who are trying to lose weight generally eat significantly less.Its ability to lower serum glucose (sugar) levels could place anyone with normal or low blood sugar at risk.

If taken in conjunction with diabetes drugs, it is important to closely monitor blood glucose levels to assure that they do not drop too low.